Starbucks Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Coffee shop giant Starbucks have responded to the news that a lawsuit is being filed against them after deaf customers in New York claimed they were being discriminated against.

In a post on their blog, Starbucks partner, Ryan Schlecht, explains Starbuck’s position in an ASL video with subtitles and full transcript beneath. He says:

Recent allegations have surfaced in the media regarding the treatment of some Deaf customers in two of our New York City stores. On behalf of the over 200,000 partners (employees), we want to take the opportunity to be clear that discrimination of any kind is not tolerated at Starbucks. We take these allegations very seriously, and believe they are neither consistent with our values nor our track record of engaging the Deaf community both as partners and as customers.

We want Starbucks to be a place where Deaf people want to work and visit. We strive to provide a Starbucks Experience that is culturally sensitive and inclusive of Deaf etiquette. We are proud of our continued growth in recruiting and employing members of the Deaf community at our headquarters in Seattle, as well as in our stores in the U.S. and across the globe. We are also grateful for thepositive feedback we continue to receive from the Deaf community on our accessibility in stores, as well as the opportunity to support American Sign Language interpreted store events.

See the full blog post here. To see the subtitles, click the white box icon on the bar at the bottom of the video window.

The Limping Chicken is supported by a range of charities and organisations linked to deafness, all of whom offer services that enhance deaf lives. Click on the images on the right-hand side of this site or go to our Supporters page to find out all about them!